The present invention relates to a device for controlling a helicopter hybrid countertorque system, said hybrid countertorque system comprising a countertorque rotor associated with at least one turnable aerodynamic steering surface, such as a fin flap or a fin which is fully turnable. It also relates to a helicopter equipped with such a control device.
It is known that in a helicopter equipped with a single main rotor providing lift and propulsion, the fuselage tends, as a reaction to the torque exerted by said main rotor, to turn in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the latter. It is also known that in order to combat the reaction torque to which the fuselage is subjected, it is conventional to provide an auxiliary countertorque rotor capable of generating a transverse thrust and the rotation of which is driven off the source of motive power of the main rotor. Thus, the auxiliary countertorque rotor taps off some of the power from this power source.
This therefore means that, as far as helicopter performance is concerned, it is advantageous for the auxiliary countertorque rotor to be assisted in its function of providing the fuselage with countertorque lateral stabilization.